IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a piece of music you like

Music cue cards fail when candidates describe genre and lyrics only. A stronger answer attaches the song to one specific memory, because that's what actually explains why a piece of music matters to someone.

Your one-minute prep plan

1. 1Name the exact song and artist, not just a genre, so your answer sounds specific from the first sentence.
2. 2Note where and when you first heard it — a place, a person, an occasion.
3. 3Note two or three features of the sound or lyrics you can describe without technical vocabulary.
4. 4Note one specific situation where you still listen to it now, which answers 'why you like it' concretely.

Band 9 model answer

The piece of music I want to talk about is a song called 'Tajdar-e-Haram' by Atif Aslam, which is a Sufi devotional piece originally written much earlier but performed by him on a show called Coke Studio. I first heard it properly at my cousin's wedding, of all places, when the DJ played it right at the end of the night when most of the guests had already left and only family remained. It's built around a harmonium and tabla, with Atif's voice starting almost as a whisper and building up over about six minutes into something much bigger, and there's a section where he just repeats one line, getting more intense each time, that genuinely gives me chills even now. What I like about it isn't really the religious content, which I only half understand, it's the structure — the patience of it, the way it refuses to rush to the exciting part and makes you wait for six minutes before it really opens up. I put it on now whenever I'm doing something that needs concentration, like writing an assignment late at night, because the slow build matches whatever mood I'm trying to get into. It's also become one of those songs that instantly brings back that wedding, my grandmother sitting in the corner nodding along, even though none of that has anything to do with the song itself.

The same answer at band 7

I want to describe a song called 'Tajdar-e-Haram', performed by Atif Aslam. It is a devotional Sufi song, and I first heard it at my cousin's wedding, near the end of the night. The song uses instruments like harmonium and tabla, and it starts very quietly and slowly becomes louder and more powerful, especially in the middle section, which repeats one line several times. I like this song because of the way it builds up slowly instead of starting fast, and because Atif Aslam's voice is very emotional. I often listen to it now when I am studying late at night because it helps me concentrate. It also reminds me of that wedding and my family being together.

The band 7 answer names the song, artist and context accurately and covers every bullet. The band 9 answer adds a specific listening ritual, an honest admission ('which I only half understand'), and a closing image of the grandmother that connects the music to memory rather than just sound.

Phrases worth stealing

“…of all places.”

Adds light emphasis to an unexpected setting, like a wedding.

“It's built around a harmonium and tabla.”

Names instruments naturally without sounding like a textbook.

“It genuinely gives me chills even now.”

Natural, idiomatic way to describe an emotional reaction to music.

“What I like about it isn't really X, it's the…”

Reusable structure for explaining a deeper reason for liking something.

“It refuses to rush to the exciting part.”

Descriptive, personified way to talk about musical structure.

“…even though none of that has anything to do with the song itself.”

Reflective closing observation about memory and music.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Mistakes to avoid

• Naming only a genre, such as 'pop music', instead of one specific song or piece.
• Describing lyrics word by word instead of the feeling or memory attached to the song.
• Forgetting to mention when or where you first heard it.
• Using only 'it makes me feel relaxed' or 'happy' as the entire reason for liking it.
• Speaking about the artist's biography at length instead of the piece of music itself.

More Part 2 cue cards